262 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



These three papers by H. M. W. Edmonds, in command of the Carnegie, 

 give the results of the magnetic observations on the Carnegie and the chart 

 corrections as found for the period December 1917 to June 1918. The results 

 will be found in the present annual report. (See pages 249-255,) 



Instructions issued by France and United States concerning protection of Cook's third 

 expedition, returning to England. H. M. W. Edmonds. Terr. Mag., vol. 

 23, 143 (Sept. 1918), Washington. 



The following extracts from Arthur Kitson's book "Captain James Cook, 

 R. N., F. R. S. The Circumnavigator," pages 355-356, will be of interest 

 at the present time. 



"It may conveniently be noted here that, on the arrival of the Resolution 

 and Discovery at Macao, on their way home in 1780, they were informed 

 that England was at war with France and the American colonies; so to pre- 

 serve a record for the Admiralty in case of capture, Burney made a copy of 

 the whole of his log on thin Chinese paper. * * * This precaution was 

 in reality unnecessary, for on the declaration of war the French Minister, 

 M. de Sartines, wrote the following instructions to the Navy: 



" 'Captain Cook, who sailed from Plymouth in July, 1776, on board the 

 Resolution, in company with the Discovery, Capt. Clerke, in order to make 

 some discoveries on the coasts, islands and seas of Japan and California, 

 being on the point of returning to Europe, and as such discoveries are of 

 general utility to all nations, it is the King's pleasure that Capt. Cook shall 

 be treated as a commander of a neutral and allied power, and that all Captains 

 of armed vessels, etc., who may meet that famous navigator, shall make him 

 acquainted with the King's order on this behalf, but at the samx time let 

 him know that on his part he must refrain from all hostilities.' 



"Fiske in his 'American Revolution' also says: 



" ' When Franklin was in Paris as representative of the United States he 

 was empowered to issue Letters of Marque against the English, but in doing 

 so, inserted an instruction that if any of the holders should fall in with vessels 

 commanded by Captain Cook, he was to be shown every respect and be 

 permitted to pass unattacked on account of the benefits he had conferred on 

 mankind through his important discoveries.' " 



The Royal Society of London later made recognition of the courtesies thus 

 shown to Cook's Expedition. Quoting from the book on "The Life of Captain 

 James Cook," by A. Kippis, London, 1788, page 512: 



"Of the gold medals which were struck on this occasion, one was presented 

 to His Majesty, another to the Queen and a third to the Prince of Wales. 

 Two were sent abroad, the first to the French King, on account of the pro- 

 tection he had granted to the ships under the command of Captain Cook; 

 and a second to the Empress of Russia, in whose dominions the same ships 

 had been received and treated with every degree of friendship and kindness." 

 After the general assignment of these medals in 1784, one was also bestowed 

 upon Franklin. 



According to the Marquis of Condorcet, the French measure "originated 

 in the liberal and enlightened mind of that excellent citizen and statesman, 

 Monsieur Turgot." The original text of the passage* from Condorcet's Life 

 of Turgot, is as follows: 



"Dans le moment o\i la guerre se declara, M. Turgot vit combien 11 seroit 

 honorable a la Nation Francoise que le vaisseau de Cook fut respecte sur 

 les mers. II dressa un Memoire pour exposer les motifs d'honneur, de raison, 

 d'interet meme qui devoient dieter cet acte de respect pour I'humainte; & 



*From "Vie de M. Turgot" by J. A. M. C. Condorcet, London, 1787, p. 203. 



